Focus on N-power growth

India will step up domestic production of nuclear power reactors as well as import it to meet its 2050 target of producing 10 per cent energy from nuclear sources, said S Banerjee, Secretary of the Ministry of Atomic Energy, at a panel session on the country’s science agenda for the coming year on Sunday.

India will step up domestic production of nuclear power reactors as well as import it to meet its 2050 target of producing 10 per cent energy from nuclear sources, said S Banerjee, Secretary of the Ministry of Atomic Energy, at a panel session on the country’s science agenda for the coming year on Sunday.

If it increases the number and uses faster reactors, the government should have no problem meeting its targets, Banerjee said.

Researchers will focus on developing a better system for disposing of the dangerous nuclear waste that results from atomic energy production.

“Any incremental growth in energy production will have direct impact on quality of life,” he said.

Helping fishermen and farmers cope with changing weather is also going to be one of the government’s top priorities in the coming year, said Shailesh Naik, Secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences. “We need to forecast the monsoon pattern.”